Jim Ratcliffe says, “Today is a landmark day for both INEOS and Europe. We have seen how US shale gas revolutionized US manufacturing and we believe these huge ships will help do the same for Europe. INEOS together with Evergas has commissioned eight brand new ships, accessed hundreds of miles of new pipeline and built two enormous terminals to get US Shale gas to Europe. The scale of the whole project is truly breathtaking.”

INEOS today held a naming ceremony at Qidong near Shanghai in China to name the world’s first two state of the art bulk ethane carriers built to carry ethane gas from the USA to Europe.

The first ship to be named is called the “JS INEOS Insight” and carries the slogan, “Shale Gas For Manufacturing”, proudly emblazoned on its side.

The second ship is the “JS INEOS Ingenuity” and carries the words, “Shale Gas For Chemicals”, boldly along its flank.

They are the first two of eight Dragon class ships that will be built and each one is the length of two soccer pitches. Each ship can carry over 27,500 cubic meters of liquefied gas at -90°C.

Jean-Jacque de Dardel, the Swiss ambassador, says, “Sixty five years ago Switzerland and China began an extraordinary partnership. Today, our two countries continue to set impressive milestones. This project is a fine example of Swiss and Chinese companies coming together to produce ground-breaking engineering, delivering the most modern and environmentally sustainable gas carriers ever built.”

Evergas is the Danish gas shipping company that designed the vessels. It was chosen because it is one of the world’s leading seaborne transporters of petrochemical gases and natural gas liquids.

Steffen Jacobsen, CEO Evergas, adds,“I’ve worked in the shipping business for thirty-five years and it’s fair to say that these ships represent a world first on many levels. No-one has ever tried to ship ethane in these quantities and over this distance before. To do this, we had to invent completely new ways of doing things. These ships are truly unique.”

SINOPACIFIC Offshore and Engineering (SOE) is one of the largest shipbuilders in the world and is the company charged with constructing the eight Dragon class ships. These vessels are being built in its Qidong shipyard which is one of the most modern in China and covering 855,000m3 with a quay line of 1.3km along the Yangtze River.

Simon Liang CEO / Chairman, SOE says, “SOE is one of very few companies that has the skills and construction facilities to take on the building of these massively complex vessels.”

The JS INEOS Insight and the JS INEOS Ingenuity will begin their maiden voyages during July.

Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS founder and chairman, adds, “the scale of the project is extraordinary. We’re going to move more than 40,000 barrels of gas a day, every day of the year, for fifteen years, from the US to Europe. Any way you look at it, this is an extraordinary achievement. This gas will keep our businesses competitive for years to come and guarantee jobs and investment. I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved here.”

Our world-scale petrochemical plants make around 1 million tonnes per annum of product, used as the building blocks in the manufacture of household items that society depends upon every day. These include synthetic ethanol, ethylene, propylene and polymers: polyethylene and polypropylene.